Iran Announces Development of Two New Missiles

LONDON — Iran has produced a tactical surface-to-surface missile with technological help from China, which is also cooperating with Tehran on the development of a longer-range missile capable of hitting vast areas of Iraq, a newspaper report said Saturday.

The Observer said in an early edition of today's paper that the shorter-range missile, based on a Chinese version of the Soviet-made Frog, had been fired at the Iraqi port of Basra. The missile has a range of 40 miles.

The longer-range missile, similar to the Soviet's Scud B, with a range of 180 miles, is at an advanced stage of development, the paper quoted unnamed Iranian sources as saying.

Last week, Iran sent shock waves throughout the Persian Gulf by acknowledging that it had acquired Chinese-made Silkworm missiles capable of hitting tankers carrying crude oil from Arab countries to the West.